1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an image file editing apparatus that edits an image file which might also include sound data stored in a recording medium. In particular, the invention relates to an image file editing apparatus that edits an image file stored in a removable recording medium.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, an image file editing apparatus executes an editing operation such as a connecting process or a composing process for an image file comprising moving images, still images, or the like.
By performing this editing operation, for example, it is possible to take an image file that has been divided into a plurality of scenes during imaging and build a single picture image product formed by a plurality of images that have been suitably linked.
Further, in recent years, due to the development of digital signal processing, the above-described image file editing apparatus have been developed with programs for realizing their use in a computer.
FIG. 10 shows the computer display screen in this type of program. In FIG. 10, at the bottom left of a display screen 51, a thumbnail display component 52 is shown for displaying thumbnail images in a list. At the top side of the display screen 51, an editing region 53 is displayed for appropriately arranging the thumbnail images by a drag-and-drop operation. Further, at the very top of the display screen 51, a file menu 54 and the like are displayed linearly for performing file operations.
A dialogue operation between the operator and the display screen 51 is described below. First, the operator operates the file menu 54 and selects the image file on the recording medium. The computer partially reads out a lead image from the selected image file (for example, a first image if the file contains plural images), reduces the pixel density of this lead image and creates a thumbnail image. In this manner, the created thumbnail image is displayed in a list in the thumbnail display component 52.
In FIG. 10, the thumbnail images of an image file A and an image file B are displayed in the list. In this state, the operator drags-and-drops the thumbnail image of the thumbnail display component 52 into the editing region 53. When this is completed, the computer arranges the thumbnail images in a row corresponding to the drop position of each thumbnail image.
Then, when a playback button 90 (indicated by a triangle at the top right of the editing region 53) has been clicked, the computer sequentially reads out the image files corresponding to the order of the thumbnail images arranged in the editing region 53. The computer sequentially plays back the image files read out in this way on a sibling window (not shown) temporarily created on the display screen 51.
Further, when, for example, a "compile movie" function has been selected from the file menu 54, the computer sequentially links the corresponding image files in the order of the thumbnail images arranged in the editing region 53 and creates a single image file.
Generally, because image files are large, there are many instances in which a series of image files cannot be stored into one recording medium and have to be divided and recorded onto a plurality of recording media. For example, when an event that extends over a long period of time, such as a wedding ceremony, is being photographed by a digital video camera or the like, it cannot be photographed completely using just one recording medium. Image files are created, divided and stored onto a plurality of recording media.
When an image file is edited that has been recorded and divided onto a plurality of recording media in this way, the operator, while accurately grasping the content of each of the image files, must suitably switch the recording media (into and out of the image editing apparatus) during the process of image editing.
Because this is a difficult and intricate operation, when the recording media have been switched several times, it often occurs that there is an error in which a thumbnail image corresponding to one of the image files is displayed as being registered twice. This kind of thumbnail duplicated display, complicates the display screen and causes needless confusion when selecting the thumbnail image for the desired image file.